Almost all aircraft are equipped with exterior light units. Exterior lights are used for a variety of purposes. Some aircraft lights allow the pilots and crew to have a better active visibility of the aircraft itself and of the environment. Other lights are used for passive visibility of the aircraft or for signalling purposes. Examples of such lights are navigation lights, beacon lights or anti-collision lights.
In modern aircraft technology, there is a strong trend towards efficiency. This trend results in material savings for weight reasons and head surface reduction for aerodynamic purposes, wherever possible. The resulting desire to save space also affects the exterior lighting of the aircraft. With the light units becoming smaller and more space-restricted, it is getting harder to satisfy light emission requirements, as for example set by the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR).
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide an exterior aircraft light unit that is able to satisfy predefined or desired light emission requirements without posing too much of a burden in terms of required space.